Disappointment for villagers as expansion plans given go-ahead

NEW HOMES WILL CAUSE ‘YEARS OF MISERY’, SAYS COUNCILLOR

RESIDENTS in East Goscote have been left disappointed and facing “years of misery” as plans to extend the village by about a quarter were given permission.

Gladman Developments had previously been refused permission to build on farmland to the north east of the village and their application was also rejected on appeal in 2019.

However, with government housing targets demanding more homes in the area, Charnwood Borough Council agreed to the plans last week.

That decision means a further 270 houses will be built on farmland off Melton Road between now and 2028.

Melton Road, which runs through East Goscote and neighbouring Rearsby, had become a very busy road about 20 years ago but a new bypass brought relief to villagers.

Councillor Laurie Needham, who represents East Goscote on the borough council, said villagers faced years of HGVs passing through as the development progresses over the seven years.

That, she said, would be followed by hundreds of extra car journeys due to the new residents.

She said: “It’s a disappointment. The Rearsby bypass was built to take the traffic off Melton Road and now this will negate that.

“They’re going to be building 270 homes over the next seven years - but I think it might go on longer - so it’s going to be miserable for years with all the lorries.

“And most homes have two cars each these days so there’s going to be a lot more traffic.”

She said the village was also lacking the facilities for the increase in size.

“The scale of the development is almost a quarter of the size of the village now,” she said.

“It’s going to be 500 extra people at a minimum and there aren’t the facilities. All East Goscote has is a couple of newsagents, two estate agents, a chemist and an undertaker.

“The nearest health centre is in Syston and that is already creaking under the pressure.”

Another issue for residents is that the development will further reduce the distance between East Goscote and Rearsby, which currently only have about 300 yards of undeveloped land between them.

The planning application was approved by members of the Charnwood Borough Council planning committee during a meeting on Thursday last week.